When I want to write memoir, the first places I go for research (other than my memory) are my journals. They are my memory-keepers, containing more details of events and my responses to them than my feeble mind could ever hold. In addition to my perception of the facts (what […]
SPRING is a time of transition, the time between winter and summer, when everything is changing rapidly, growing, greening, budding, and flowering. Spring is also a symbol for many life experiences: times of change, times of growth, times that vacillate between rain and sun, pessimism and hope. For all these […]
ONCE journal writing has become a regular part of your life, you may want to have more than one, keeping different journals for different purposes. Here is a list (in alphabetical order) of journals that I keep or have kept at different times in my life. I invite you to […]
This week’s journal writing prompts are about vulnerability. For most of us, to be vulnerable means to be open to the possibility of physical or emotional injury, or to be easily manipulated, and is a state we have learned — or been taught — to avoid. In reaction, we build […]
THIS week’s journaling prompts help us explore our responses to painful world events, as well as how we could, can, and do help others. The prompts are designed to help us understand, on a deeper level, what triggers our sense of empathy for other human beings. I’d like to continue […]
Wherever a man turns he can find someone who needs him. ~ Albert Schweitzer EVERY DAY, the suffering of so many is brought home to us through the TV, the Internet, and newspapers. The recent world catastrophes — earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, tsunamis, social and political unrest in […]
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. DISAPPOINTMENT is the opposite of optimism, hopeful anticipation, and joy. We feel disappointed when something we’ve hoped for or expected doesn’t occur. Perhaps you’ve worked for a reward — a promotion, a raise, an acknowledgement […]
EACH person defines what it means to have a “fulfilled life” in his or her own way. For some, it means following artistic passions, finding the right career, or helping others. For others, it means building satisfying relationships and strong community ties. For still others, it means living a life […]
IN addition to many other reasons for journaling, your journal can function as a kind of personal coach — essentially, someone who helps you identify and achieve goals. Modeled after sports coaching, a personal coach holds you accountable, pushes you a little harder than you might push yourself, and cheers […]
